Fake Nikon

Last month I bought a Nikon d5300 with a Nikon 18-140mm lens from an eBay seller believing it to be a great deal. Soon after going out for the first time with my new gear I realised something was not quite right with the images it was producing, now I am no expert but I know enough about photography to know what to expect of my image in varying conditions and settings.
Both camera and lens look and feel like the real thing but I became suspicious when I tried to look up there serial numbers, they did not exist. I have come to the conclusion that they are Chinese copies, I have now resolved this situation but the moral is cheap is not necessarily the best, beware.

How did you look up the serial number,if you say they where fake i have to accept that but i dont see how any one can manage that,i can see how cameras and lenses go straight to the wholesaler direct from the factory and never get recorded with the likes of Nikon uk.
Just the thought of pulling everything together for fake cameras and lenses does not seem viable,it sounds more like a gray market thing rather than fake.

Nikon is normally made in Thailand, at least the lens was made in China.

I have several Nikon lenses that are labeled "Made in China" They're far from fake. In fact, one, a 24-85mm G, just came back from Nikon Repair in Los Angeles less than a week ago...

Its all ok now anyway as I have said the problem has been resolved...

Not all that OK spreading unsubstantiated rumors,as i say gray imports i can see,fake copies i struggle with the idea,ime open to being proved wrong though.

The only way I could see it being "fake", is when some were selling D800 cameras with the D800 label replaced with a D800E label. Some got ripped off that way, but I don't see how a whole camera could be fake.

Sometime last year, I read an article about a cheaper Nikon being passed off as a more expensive one. The skin (for lack of a better word) was taken from an expensive model and put on the body of a cheaper model. In that case, there was some way to access the model's info directly through the camera body, but I can't find the article and don't remember how it was done.

And then there was also this article which was slightly different yet still discusses a counterfit body. I Bought a Fake Nikon DSLR: My Experience with Gray Market Imports

There are people around the world who can reverse engineer anything.........

Ime still of the opinion if you have proof that they where copies share it,i can even see an unscrupulous Chinese manufacturer shipping extra production out the back door but not very likely plus you would need body and lens factories doing the same.

If you did lookup the serial numbers in Nikon US database, it's quite normal that these numbers don't exist in their database. There might be other international Nikon service centers that would acknowledge your serial numbers.

I know for a fact that Yamaha Canada Music Corporation won't sell parts for pianos that were not bought through a Canadian authorized Yamaha dealer. When I order parts, I have to have a serial number and they can check the origin of the instrument. When the serial number is not in their database, they know it wasn't imported by them. But the piano is still a Yamaha.

Just my opinion.

here is the link to the D800E fakes Nikon Warns That There Are Fake D800E DSLRs Out in the Wild

Also updated to include other Nikons Nikon warns again of "fraudulently modified" D610, D800E and D4s DSLR cameras | Nikon Rumors

Don Kuykendall said:

here is the link to the D800E fakes Nikon Warns That There Are Fake D800E DSLRs Out in the Wild

Click to expand...

And there you go--Don's link has the info I mentioned where you can see the actual model name of the camera after shooting an image.

Sorry, long post...yawn alert.

There is a difference with swapping out the skin and reverse engineering a copy, or building a cheap camera and sticking a fake lable on it.

I believe it can be done, but it isn't going to be exact. Usually, copies get something wrong because of cheap production and fake parts. You know, the D isn't the same font, or the buttons aren't quite in the right spot.

How can you make this type of copy and create enough of them to make money, and I don't have any clue how one would fake lens optics. Certainly, there wouldn't be the precision required.

I would like to know who the seller was, or if it was advertised as new or used, and if was sold out of Europe or China.

I would love to see some images and data because there is no way they copied all of Nikon's technology. It would be too expensive. The idea is to fake it enough to get away with a sale.

I want to know exactly what I should be aware of. A nebulous warning doesn't help me since I already know EBAY is flooded with fakes.

Korea has been known to make some fantastic copies of many items. Not sure about cameras though.

How Nikon UK would love there to be fakes out there, that would really screw the gray market,if i bought a fake my first point of contact would be Nikon Japan,they are the ones that wouldn't want fakes out there,most copies have inferior parts used,if i was running Nikon UK and someone sent a gray import camera in for repair i may play the this isnt genuine card.
Still no proof though,i would really like to know more for the benefit of every Nikon user.

I'd stick with known sellers like B&H or Adorama for used. I never buy from ebay since the seller can be anyone. Never a problem with the two mentioned. How else can anyone know if the item ordered isn't junk? For big dollars I'd be very cautious who I buy from.

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Hi, I've just ordered a Nikon D5500 with 18 - 140mm lens on eBay.... From Gadgetonlinestore, is this the buyer you used? Can you advise on what to look for or how you resolved the issue? Having stated the item was located in Britain it transpires its shipping from Hong Kong which isn't an encouraging start and leaves me wondering if I'll get stung for a customs charge. Was the camera itself genuine? Thanks.

Robinhunter74 said:

Hi, I've just ordered a Nikon D5500 with 18 - 140mm lens on eBay.... From Gadgetonlinestore, is this the buyer you used? Can you advise on what to look for or how you resolved the issue? Having stated the item was located in Britain it transpires its shipping from Hong Kong which isn't an encouraging start and leaves me wondering if I'll get stung for a customs charge. Was the camera itself genuine? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Twice i have ask for proof from the OP but as you see its not here,all you will have bought is a Nikon that has not come through Nikon UK,if you contacted them with the serial number the chances are they would say its not an official Nikon product so they cant repair it,this doesn't mean its a fake/copy just what we call a gray import.
You could get caught for import duties as they most likley declared a low value item plus you problems would start if the camera went wrong and the ebay seller was no longer there,there are a few reputable gray sellers some will even reimburse you if you get caught for import duties.
The reason its coming from Hong Kong is somewhere in the small print it will say you are the importer the company you bought it through are only acting as your agent,so all costs would fall on you,as i say so long as the company stay in business and deal with any repairs you should not need to worry.

I am fully aware of grey imports and legitimate UK stock differences, this one was different but no worries all sorted now.